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Astral Out-of-Home introduces augmented reality application

Astral Out-of-Home, a division of Montreal-based Astral Media, has released an augmented reality smartphone application in association with Ad-Dispatch of Halifax. The first campaign using the new technology is being conducted by Bacardi Canada for liqueur brand Drambuie. Called "A Taste of the Extraordinary," it consists of transit shelter advertising in downtown Toronto areas including Dundas Square and Queen Street West. Consumers who use the application to view the ads via a smartphone screen will see various animated elements and will be able to interact with the ads. The application also provides drink recipes and the ability to share photographs of the ads via social media networks. The campaign, aimed at men between the ages of 24 and 35, also includes material in weekly publication The Grid, as well as additional augmented reality elements at the brand's Facebook page and at upcoming events. In the fall, special packaging for the brand will be introduced that will also include augmented reality elements. The original campaign was developed by SellSell of the United Kingdom. Canadian media buying was conducted by Denneboom Media. "The Iris AR application is another great example of connecting consumers from the physical world to the digital world, and Astral OOH is proud to be sponsoring the first universal OOH AR app," said Debbie Drutz, director of media markets and innovation at Astral. "The application gives all advertisers and OOH suppliers the opportunity to engage with their audience in a meaningful way. By bringing this new application to market, we can invite consumers to experience augmented reality in one place, with only one application download, across all OOH products in Canada."